Speak Up
by peraspera
Summary: Benjamin has had enough of being locked up in the castle by Amun. One night, he leaves without Amun knowing, just to get a taste of the outside world. What he didn't expect was to find his blood singer, a human girl who he didn't even know the name of. Benjamin/OC, set pre Breaking Dawn, post Eclipse.
1. Chapter 1

_**Eye contact** - noun - __The state in which two people are aware of looking directly into one another's eyes._

* * *

If there was one thing that Benjamin absolutely couldn't stand, it was the fact that Amun seememed to be so protective of him. It was with good reason, which was one of the only reasons that Benjamin didn't snap every time the older vampire scolded him for leaving the palace without his permission. The only reason he wasn't allowed to leave was so that the Volturi didn't hear about his power and use him against Amun. It was kind of Amun to want to protect him, yes, and it wasn't as if he wasn't grateful for Amun's hospitality and this life that had been given to him. But there were times when he just wanted to get out and experience the world. He wanted to see how much things had changed in the centuries he'd been locked away, kept from the eyes of mortals. If he'd gone out at night time, he'd be alright. But it wasn't allowed. His meals were brought to him, he studied what was needed to study, he practiced with his power, and the cycle repeated. Who could blame him for just wanting something more?

The other thing was the possibility that his mate was outside of these walls. Like any vampire, or any person, he was lonely without companionship. And trust me, centuries without someone to spend your time with while the only other two people in your home were mates was something that was both extremely tedious and extremely painful. He yearned to just leave the walls once, to find his mate, to snatch her up and bring her back. If he just had the opportunity to find the vampire that he was meant to spend the rest of his eternity with, he'd be satisfied. However, it appeared that Amun wasn't going to allow him to do that, not even to catch a glimpse of the outside world. The only natural thing to do, of course, was to find a way to leave without Amun's permission.

It was a simple thing to do. While Amun was busy talking to Kebi, he focused in on a stack of about twenty clay jars, each containing various types of liquid. The key point to his plan, however, was that the liquids on the bottom were something he could control; water. With a grin, Benjamin peaked around the corner, using his gift to moved the jars so that they brought the others to the ground, successfully shattering them while making it look as if they hadn't been deliberately knocked over. Amun jumped in surprise, before he ordered some servants to clean it up, helping them along with Kebi. Benjamin knew that this was his only chance, and no matter how angry Amun would get at him for leaving, he had to do it.

He stole into the night, feeling exhilirated but afraid at the same time. He was cautious, making sure that there was nothing that could expose him, while also making sure that there was a way for him to see the sights, hear the sounds, and smell the smells of a world he'd been locked away from for so long. If his heart was still able to do so, right now it would be beating a mile a minute.

There weren't very many people milling about, but there was still a decent amount of them. Due to the frigid cold that Egypt experienced at night, most were currently pulling on a jacket. He spotted a group of girls milling about, talking to each other. One of them spotted him and giggled to her friends, making Benjamin smirk.

After centuries of practice, it was easy to control himself around all of these humans. He'd just recently fed, which also made the process of not pouncing on someone and drinking their blood all that much easier. He peered through the crowds, walking at a casual pace, though his excitement grew with each passing minute. For a moment, he felt normal. He felt like he belonged. He didn't feel like some weapon that was going to be used for someone else's gain. He felt like Benjamin. It was exhilirating.

Suddenly, a scent hit his nose, making him stop dead in his tracks and whirl around to face where the scent was coming from. His eyes widened, and he swore he felt his unbeating heart quicken and clench.

A woman walked with two older people, presumably her parents, her blonde hair falling to her mid-back. Hazel eyes peered out from long lashes, and a faint trace of freckles decorated her button nose. Bird-like lips spread to reveal white teeth while she laughed, a sound that reminded Benjamin of silver bells chiming.

The man walking with her had light brown hair, his eyes a similar color to hers, although his skin was a bit darker than hers. He stood taller than both of the women he was walking with, and towered over the blonde that Benjamin had first noticed. He had to be at least around 6'5". He was obviously her father. The woman walking on his other side had the same blonde hair as the daughter and the same freckles, but her eyes were a bright blue, and she was taller, almost reaching the same height as the man she was walking with.

He tried to continue walking, looking back at the path in front of him, though he was currently shaking, his red eyes still wide. She was everything he'd ever hoped for and more. He needed her, he craved her. Benjamin looked back, risking another glance at the mysterious blonde, only to see that she was looking back at him as well. The moment their eyes met, he melted, and all resolve in him went with it. He knew that he had to have her, and that he'd leave ever single night after this if he had to just to get to know her.

Her parents got her attention again, and soon she was gone, leaving Benjamin in the dust. He slowly retreated back to the palace, recieving an earful from Amun about leaving and how dangerous it was. He only half listened, his mind mostly on the woman he'd met, the very woman who'd managed to capture his heart without him even knowing her name.


	2. Chapter 2

_**Best friend** - noun - the one friend who is closest to you._

* * *

In the next few months that followed after that encounter, Amun had been keeping a close eye on Benjamin. He'd only managed to escape twice, and after that, he was on lock down, with people watching him twenty four hours a day. It wasn't as if it really mattered; each time that Benjamin went out to search for the mysterious blonde that he'd seen, she wasn't there. He scoured the entire city for her, but there wasn't a trace of her, and he couldn't track down the scent of her blood. She was gone. He questioned the chances of ever seeing her again. Maybe she'd been freaked out by him, so she'd quickly told her parents to leave. Maybe she was one of those people that traveled around the world, never settling in one place for very long before she was up again, moving to another place to experience new people and new adventures.

Maybe, just maybe, she was still there, and he was missing her. Maybe she was still out there, waiting for him to come and find her, waiting for him to know her name and her favorite color and what her voice sounded like and where she came from. He wanted to know where she got that small, faint scar on the left side side of her chin. He wanted to know why she was there, what she thought of him, and how she would react to him being a vampire. More importantly, though, he wanted to know if she would even like him at all.

* * *

"Calypso! Cal, sweetheart, can you please help me bring in the groceries?"

The blonde trotted down the stairs, meeting her mother at the door, who currently had an armful of paper bags. She easily took some from her, carrying them into the kitchen, where her father was currently reading an article online. He looked up from his laptop, glasses balanced lazily on his nose. "Groceries?" Calypso nodded her head, setting them down on the countertop. She followed her father outside, the three of them easily carrying the groceries inside, finishing rather quickly.

"So, what do you have planned for today?" The blonde woman questioned, putting boxes of cereal into the cabinet over her head. She tried to reach unsuccessfully, which made her husband reach over and take them from her, easily putting them into the counter. "Thank you, Richard." She said gratefully, kissing his cheek.

"Paul said he wanted to hang out." She replied, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand after she'd chugged down a glass of milk. Her mother gave her a disapproving look at the action, making her grin, which made her mother chuckle and shake her head. "We were planning on just sitting around his house and playing some games or something. He said we'll probably order pizza. I'll be back around six-ish."

"And what time were you supposed to be meeting Paul at his house?" Her father questioned, raising his brows at his daughter.

Said daughter frowned, tapping her lower lip. "Hm, let's see... Er... I think he said around two..."

"And it's two forty seven right now, short stuff." Paul replied from behind her, making her jump in her skin. She turn around and slapped his arm, glaring at him while he laughed at her.

"Not funny, you ass." She grumbled, making Paul laugh even harder when her mother corrected her for her language.

"So, how was the trip, Helen?" Paul questioned as he opened a bag of chips and dug right on in. He wasn't afraid of imposing or being rude. He'd known this family ever since they'd moved in when he was eight years old. He remembered meeting Calypso for the first time and teasing her about her strange name. She then announced that she was named after a woman in Greek mythology, who was a nymph. Paul then proceeded to ask her what the hell a nymph was. She then kicked dirt into his face, which oddly enough started a wonderful friendship.

If there was one thing that Paul was, it was antisocial. Sure, he had his pack, but Paul wasn't too fond of spending his time around too many people. They tended to piss him off, which tended to set off his temper, which obviously wouldn't end too well. Of course, he'd phased in front of Calypso before. It was how she found out about his secret, and how she became the closest person in the world to him. They'd been fighting about a guy she was dating that ditched her to hang out with some of his friends. Paul told her to dump him, but she refused. It resulted in a fight, which resulted in him getting angry, which resulted in him phasing and Jacob having to come and break it up. It took her a week, but she finally was okay with it. After a while, it just became a second nature kind of thing. In fact, she often called him Fido and made jokes about it.

"It was wonderful, wasn't it, Calypso?" Helen gushed, excited. She and her husband were world famous explorers, having written many books together before Calypso was even born. After she was born, they decided they needed to settle down somewhere, but also agreed that it had to be somewhere with a lot of interesting history to it that they could study while they were there. They chose La Push, and they often remarked about how it was one of the greatest choices they'd ever made. However, they often missed their exploring days, which resulted in vacations. "Oh, we visited the Pyraminds, and the Sphinx, and I got so much infomration from the locals. They welcomed us with open arms. It was splendid, really."

Because she was born in Liverpool, England, Helen had a British accent. It was very pronounced when she spoke, giving her an even more elegant feel than she already had, although she also had an extremely motherly feel to her as well. Meanwhile, Mr. Stewart, or Richard, had a New York accent, having been born there. Their daughter had an odd mix of both, which always had set her apart from the others he usually spent his time with, and it usually got her the strangest looks when she spoke in public.

"She's making a bigger deal out of it than it actually was, seeing as she's seen it ten times already." Calypso replied teasingly, spitting her tongue out at her mother. "I'm just kidding. It was pretty cool though." She slapped Paul's hand away when he went to grab at the pre sliced ham sitting on the counter, waiting to go in the fridge. "Oi, black hole, we need to get to your house soon if we're going to actually do anything today. You can come and eat my every single solitary piece of food in my home later, I promise."

"Alright, alright. No need to blow a fuse there, short stuff." He teased in response, ruffling her blonde hair fondly.

She rolled her eyes, though there was an impish smile teasing the corners of her lips. She slapped his hand off of her head, fixing her hair. "Bite me, Fido." She turned back to her parents, kissing each of them on the cheek. "Bye, Mom! Bye, Dad!" With that, she and Paul left.

As she walked to his house, she remembered something about the vacation that she hadn't told him about. She hadn't forgotten about the man that had been staring at her, the one she hadn't been able to look away from, although she'd tried with everything she had in her. It was the very same man with the piercing red eyes.


	3. Chapter 3

**_Secret_ **_- noun - Something that is kept or meant to be kept unknown._

* * *

He was on edge, and she knew it. She could tell that something had changed, that there was something important going on. She wasn't in the loop this time. Calypso knew that Paul was just trying to protect her. It was what he'd always done, ever since he phased in front of her that one day. From that day on, he tried to protect her not only from himself, but from any danger that could be around her.

He recognized the fact that she was headstrong and independent, and that she could clearly take care of herself. But there was a point where Paul drew the line and stepped in to defend her. After all, she was his best friend. She was the one who kept him sane when all other forces were driving him towards the opposite direction. In return, he guaranteed her safety, though he knew that most of the time, him constantly worrying over her and protecting her got her annoyed to no end.

It was something she didn't know about, and it was something that Paul never wanted her to know about. He never wanted her to get involved with those damn leeches. Sure, Jacob was pretty good friends with them, and Sam was in good standing with Carlisle, but there was no way that he was going to let Calypso anywhere near them. He wasn't going to risk her getting dragged into their mess somehow, and then risk her ultimately getting hurt. No, he'd die before he let that happen to her.

"There's something you're not telling me."

She sat on his couch, curled up with her phone in her hands while he played Call of Duty. He turned away from the screen for a moment, seeing as the match had ended. She was giving him a look, a look that he knew all too well. He knew that Calypso wasn't going to let this one go easily. She was stubborn as a mule. "There is." He replied. "But that just means I'm still not going to tell you about it."

"Why?" She demanded, making him turn back around from the game. "Why can't I know? I already know about you phasing, and I already know about everyone else who phases. Unless you're going to tell me that there are mermaids around here too, I think I've got everything down."

'You really haven't.' He thought, but he didn't voice that thought. "It's safer for you if you just don't get involved in it." He replied, turning back to the television as the match started. "Hey, did you change my classes again?"

"Why can't I know?" Calypso continued to press, ignoring his later question. "I mean, it doesn't mean that I have to get involved in it. You can just tell me about it, and then that way I'll know. I hate how you guys seem to be tiptoeing around me lately, as if I'm some breakable little tea cup."

"I know that you're not a tea cup, Cal." Paul replied, nearly chuckling at the thought. Calypso was anything but a frilly little tea cup type of girl. It was how she was able to stay around him and the pack. "But there are just things that you don't need to know, and there are just things that I keep from you in order to protect you. Believe me, I'd tell you if you absolutely needed to know, alright?"

"But I do absolutely need to know." She continued. "Come on, Paul. You act like you're only allowed to protect me, and then it doesn't work the other way around."

Paul nodded once, not looking away from the game. "Sounds about right. Looks like you've got your priorities in check."

She gaped at him, supressing the urge to walk over to him and smack him against the back of his head. "I'm leaving." She announced, getting up off of the couch.

"Cal!" Paul called, dropping his controller at his feet and following her to the door. "Cal, come on." He stepped into the doorway, looking at her as she stood on the porch. "Cal, come inside. It's raining, and I don't want you going home like this. You didn't bring your car."

"I don't care." She replied. "You're making me angry."

"I'm making you angry?" Paul repeated. She nodded. He raised an eyebrow. "Just because I won't tell you one little thing?" She nodded in confirmation, making him groan. "Come on, Cal. Stop being so damn stubborn and just get inside of the house."

"I don't want to go inside." She replied, walking off of the porch. She was immediately soaked to the bone. "I'm going home. See you later, Paul."

He watched as she marched off, knowing that running after her would only result in him getting soaked as well, and it wouldn't help anything. He knew her like a book, and one of the past chapters told him that she didn't like to be bothered when she was miffed about something. Calypso had an easily ignitable temper, but she also had the ability to forgive and forget at the speed of light. She'd talk to him soon enough.

* * *

The glass vase holding the flowers shattered on the floor at Alice's feet. Jasper shot out of his seat, coming to her side in an instant. "What is it, Alice?" He questioned, knowing that she had to have had a vision.

"The Volturi, they're coming for us." The pixie-like girl told him. She looked at the rest of her family, addressing them as she spoke next. "Aro, Caius, Marcus, the guard and Irina."

Bella looked at her daughter. "Honey, come here." She spoke softly, though with an edge in her voice that clearly gave away the fact that she was worried. Renesmee got up, going to her mother in an instant, who wrapped her arms around her daughter.

Carlisle was confused, and the look on his face clearly showed it. "Why?" He questioned Bella and Alice.

Edward looked towards Jacob and Bella. "What did Irina see in the woods?"

"We were just walking." Bella replied, looking down at her daughter for a moment before looking back at her husband.

"Ness was catching snowflakes." Jacob added casually, trying to figure it out with the rest of them. He knew that there was some danger being involved here, that much was obvious, and he wanted to figure out what was going on. Not only for Bella's sake, but mostly for Renesmee's sake.

"Of course." Edward sighed, coming to the realization. How could he have not realized this sooner? "Irina thinks Renesmee's an immortal child."

* * *

Carlisle turned to Bella and Jacob, knowing that he was going to have to explain. "The immortal children were very beautiful, so enchanting. To be near them was to love them. But their development was frozen at the age they were turned, they couldn't be taught or restrained. A single tantrum could destroy an entire village. Humans heard about the devastation, stories spread, the Volturi were forced to intervene. And since the children couldn't protect our secret, they had to be destroyed. The creators grew very attached, fought to protect them. Long established covens were torn apart, countless humans slaughtered. Traditions, friends, even families, lost."

"So the Denali's mother made an immortal child?" Bella questioned.

"Yes." Carlisle replied. "And she paid the price."

"Well, Renesmee is nothing like those children." Bella interjected. "She was born, not bitten. She grows every single day."

"So can't you just explain that to the Volturi?" Jacob questioned.

"Aro has enough proof in Irina's thoughts." Edward replied.

"So we fight." Jacob said decidedly.

"Their offensive weapons are too powerful." Jasper replied, shaking his head. "No one could stand against Jane."

"Alec's even worse." Alice agreed with her mate.

"Well then," Bella replied, looking towards the rest of her family, desperate to keep her daughter out of harm's way. It was the only daughter she'd ever have, and she'd be damned if someone took her away from her. "We convince them."

"They're coming to kill us, not to talk." Emmett replied.

"No, you're right. They won't listen to us." Edward agreed. "But maybe others can convince them. Carlisle, we have friends all around the world."

Carlisle shook his head. "I won't ask them to fight."

"Not fight, witness. If enough people knew the truth, maybe we can convince the Volturi to listen." Edward said.

Esme nodded her head, setting her hand on Carlisle's shoulder gently, who looked up at her. "We can ask this of our friends."


	4. Chapter 4

_**Compromise** - noun - An agreement or a settlement of a dispute that is reached by each side making concessions._

* * *

"At least we get to go to London again, we haven't been there in a long time." Esme spoke to her husband and mate, trying to make light of the situation, although the reason that they were traveling so far was far from pleasant. Carlisle smiled at the woman in response, seeing that she was trying to lighten up his mood.

"Alright." Jacob announced as he entered the room. "Let's get this show on the road..." He paused, seeing Sam coming up the driveway from the window. He watches as Sam hands Carlisle a piece of paper.

"Alice asked me to give you that." Sam revealed, looking at the blonde vampire before him. "She and Jasper crossed our lands to the ocean last night." He paused, looking over at Jacob as Carlisle looked over the note. "And Jacob, Paul was asking for you."

"For what? What's going on?" Jacob questioned, assuming the worst. Maybe his sister had been hurt.

Sam shook his head. "It's nothing too bad and it can be taken care of whenever you're done doing what you need to do here. He's just having some difficulties with Calypso, that's all."

"His imprint?" Bella questioned.

Jacob shook his head. "No, Paul's imprint is my sister, Rachel. It just recently happened. Calypso is his best friend, and honestly, sometimes I believe that he's closer to her than Rachel will ever be to him. He phased in front of her one day, so she had to know our secret."

"It's the reason she's so angry right now." Sam agreed, looking away from Bella to look at Jacob. "Paul said that she's angry that he wouldn't tell her why things were getting more and more stressful around here."

"She doesn't know about there being vampires, but apparently she can know about wolves and that's just fine." Jacob told Bella. He turned back to Sam. "Tell Paul that I'll take care of it later, alright?"

Carlisle finished, looking over at Esme, who looked at him, concerned. "Carlisle."

"They've left us." Carlisle revealed, folding the paper in his hands.

Rosalie stepped forward, looking just as confused as everyone else both looked and felt. "Why?" The blonde questioned.

Carlisle shook his head. "She didn't say."

"Can I see that?" Bella questioned. Carlisle handed the note to Bella, allowing her to read it over. In Alice's curvy cursive writing, it read, '_Gather as many witnesses as you can before the snow sticks to the ground. That's when they'll come_.' Flipping it over, she saw that it was written on a page torn out of William Shakespeare's The Merchant of Venice. Frowning, Isabella Cullen stared at the paper, utterly perplexed by it. Why would Alice and Jasper leave them at the moment when they needed them the most?

* * *

"Edward, is everything alright? Why didn't you tell us you were coming?" Carmen questioned when she saw Edward exit the Volvo and walk towards the family.

"Is it Irina?" Kate questioned next. "Have you heard from her?"

"Not directly." Edward responded, looking nervous.

"Why is your bride waiting in the car?" Eleazar questioned him, looking past him to see Bella in the car.

"And why have you brought a wolf with you?" Kate questioned, her nose scrunching up in response. "I can smell him from here."

"My family's in danger." Edward responded, not entirely answered Eleazar's question, and ignoring Kate's. It definitely wasn't important at the moment, and he wasn't going to waste time when the Volturi were working against them. "I need your help."

"What's happened?" Carmen questioned, looking concerned.

"It's hard to explain, but I need you to be open minded." Edward answered, looking imploringly at the family of vampires. "Can you do that?"

"Of course." Tanya agreed with a small nod of her head.

"Okay," Bella said, looking back at her daughter and Jacob after Edward had turned to face her, signaling that it was time for her to take Renesmee out of the car. "Time to meet some new people."

"What if they don't like me?" Renesmee questioned her mother.

"They'll love you." Jacob promised her, smiling.

"They will, once they understand you." Bella agreed.

"They just haven't met anyone like you before." Jacob told her softly, earning a smile from the young girl sitting beside him.

"Okay." Bella climbed out of the car, along with Renesmee and Jacob. Jacob looked protective, his stance rigid, waiting for someone to attack Renesmee. The Denalis gasp, stepping back at the sight of Renesmee.

"The Volturi will come for all of us." Kate whispered in fear.

"You get that _thing _out of here!" Tanya shouted at Edward, venom lacing every single word in her voice.

"She's not what she looks like." Edward promised, trying to diffuse the situation. He wasn't looking for a fight, especially not with his family, and especially not with Renesmee standing a little ways away from him. She was already scared enough, and a fight would only scare her further.

"This is a crime!" Tanya shouted, moving to attack Edward. Edward pushed her to the side quickly, but then Kate attacked him, using her gift to shock him. Bella ran over in response, trying to get Kate away from him, and Kate attempted to attack her as well. It wasn't successful and Bella knocked both of the sisters back.

As the sisters moved to attack her, Bella stepped protectively in front of her mate, growling at them. "Stay back!"

"She has blood in her veins," Edward said, trying desperately to make them believe him. "You can feel her warmth."

"I can feel it." Carmen confirmed.

"I'm her biological father," Edward revealed, then motioned to his wife. "Bella's her mother."

"Impossible." Kate said in disbelief.

"It's true." Bella replied. "She was born while I was still human."

"I've never heard of such a thing." Eleazar muttered, his golden eyes wide in disbelief.

"She can show you if you let her." Edward answered. He and Bella turned at the same time to face Renesmee and Jacob. Jacob hoisted her up into his arms, carrying her over, not taking any chances with the vampires that Bella and Edward were dealing with. They'd just attacked Bella, and frankly, he didn't trust them as far as he could throw them at this point.

"Tanya, you owe us this much." Edward said as Jacob carried his daughter over to the group. "We're all under a death sentence because your sister didn't let us explain."

Renesmee reached out to touch Tanya's cheek and Tanya flinched back, clearly afraid. "Don't be afraid. This is how she communicates." Bella said softly, making Tanya relax. Renesmee placed her hand on Tanya's cheek, showing Tanya all of her memories.

Tanya's eyes widened. She looked over at her family with her eyes still wide. "It's true." She whispered, still in awe of what she'd just experienced. "She's not immortal."

* * *

"Calypso, come on."

"Paul Lahote, I told you that I'm not speaking to you." The blonde replied as she slammed her locker door shut, books in her arms.

"But you just spoke to me." Paul pointed out. Calypso pursed her lips, not responding to that statement and walking out of the school in a confident stride. Paul groaned, running to keep up with her. "Come on, Calypso. Just let me drive you home." She still didn't respond. "Cal, look, I'm sorry. What will make you want to speak to me again?"

She whirled around to face him, blonde hair nearly whipping him in the face as she did. She glared up at him, and although she was a good foot smaller than him, she was still able to intimidate him, something that most people couldn't do. "Tell me the stupid secret!"

"You know I can't do that." Paul responded.

Calypso whirled around, continuing her stride. Paul growled, following her. "Cal, this isn't fair! I'm keeping this from you for your own safety!"

"Fine." Calypso replied. "If you don't tell me, I'm going to go to the cliffs..."

Paul's eyes narrowed at the blonde. "Cal..." He said, a clear warning tone in his voice.

"And I'm going to jump off of the highest, steepest spot there!" She finished, her voice cheery, a grin on her face as she clapped her hands together once.

"Calypso Stewart, you wouldn't fucking dare." He growled, grabbing her arm.

"You know what? It looks like it's about to storm." She said thoughtfully, tapping her lower lip. "Seems like a mighty good time for me to go and test out the waters, don't you think so?"

"Fine, _fine_!" Paul finally agreed, making her grin in triumph. "Alright." He lowered his voice. "Get into my car and I'll explain."

Calypso agreed, knowing that she wasn't going to go cliff diving and wouldn't have anyway. She threw her books carelessly into the back seat, climbing into the passenger's side seat while Paul climbed into the driver's seat and started up the car. He pulled out of the school's parking lot. "Alright, you know how you've heard the Quilette legends at the bonfires, right?" Paul questioned. When he heard a small sound of affirmation from Calypso, he continued. "And you know how they're always talking about the cold ones?" Calypso nodded. "... Those are vampires, and they're the Cullens."

"You mean the Brady Bunch are vampires?" Calypso questioned, raising her brows.

"Cal, this isn't a joke." Paul growled.

"I'm being serious!" Calypso responded, throwing her arms up. "Come on. Seriously. So they're all vampires then?" Paul nodded as he parked in front of her house, opening the door for her. She grinned, looking up at him with a sparkle in her eyes. "Take me over there."

"What?" Paul demanded, looking at her like she'd lost her marbles. In fact, he was pretty sure that she had. "They have a bunch of vampires over there that feed on humans and you want me to take you the fuck over there?" When she nodded, grinning, he glared at her. "No."

She frowned, standing up, glaring at him as well. "And why not?"

"Because I'm not going to let you become some leech's next meal." Paul replied. "That's why."

"Then I'll go by myself." She announced, walking by Paul.

Paul growled, following her. "You're not going there at all."

"Paul," She said, whirling around to face him. "You're my best friend, and you know me better than anyone else on this planet knows me. By now, you should know that there's no way that I'm not going. Now, there's two options. You either go with me, or I'm going alone."

Paul paused, thinking about a way to get around this, though he knew that Calypso was right. He knew her, and he knew that she was just going to find a way to get around him and go there anyway. It was safer to just take her there and settle her curiousity. "Fine, Cal, but only for a bit, alright?"

"Fine." Calypso agreed, nodding her head. "Just take me to the blood thirsty GQ models, if you please."

* * *

"Amun, please!"

Currently, Carlisle was trying to beg Amun to help, while Esme followed after him the two of them, wishing that she could help, but not knowing how to assist in the situation. Amun turned to face Carlisle, his mate, Kebi, at his side. "I can't help you, Carlisle." He replied dismissively.

"I wouldn't ask if it weren't urgent." Carlisle countered, trying to win Amun over, but Esme could already tell that this man was extremely stubborn, and would be as hard to move as a mountain.

Amun shook his head, turning to leave. "You must go." He replied shortly.

Suddenly, the water rose out of the pool, elegantly draping over the doorway, covering it and keeping us from leaving. The water glistened like gems, staying put in mid air. Amun looked over at a boy across the room from them, so Esme, Kebi, and Carlisle looked as well. He grinned mischeviously at Amun and Carlisle. "I'd like to hear about it." He spoke, his accent heavy. "I never get to meet any of Amun's friends. He likes to keep me hidden."

"I can't imagine why." Carlisle replied with humor in his voice. The vampire lowered the water into the pool, successfully almost splashing all four of the vampires on the opposite side of the pool. He then crossed the room, offering his hand to Carlisle, who shook it.

"Benjamin." He greeted.

"Carlisle." The blonde vampire greeted in return, smiling.


	5. Chapter 5

_**Regret** - noun - Feel sad, repentant, or disappointed over something._

* * *

"I can't believe that I'm taking you there." Paul growled as he drove his car to the Cullen's household, his radio blaring some cheesy pop tune as Calypso sang along. Calypso could sing very well. In fact, she'd gotten lesson ever since she was very young. But she also had the ability to sing horribly on purpose, and today was one of those days when she did it. With a grunt, Paul turned the radio off, making the blonde pout. "Stop doing that. I have to take you to those leeches. The least you can do is not make my ears bleed."

"Sorry, Paulie." She apologized, though her tone was clearly mocking. It was times like these when Paul really wished he had the ability to strangle her, but he knew he'd never be able to. "Wow." Calypso whistled low as Paul parked in front of the Cullen's household. "Man, they must be loaded. Look at this house!"

"Just hurry up and get out of the car." Paul grumbled, not at all happy that he was exposing his best friend to them. Calypso got out of the car, allowing Paul to shut it behind her. He caught up to her easily, standing close beside her, knowing that he'd fight in an instant to keep her safe. "Stay right next to me the whole time, Cal. You hear me?"

"Loud and clear, Dad." She replied sarcastically as they entered the side yard, only to see a little girl and a guy kneeling on the ground. The little girl had her hand on his face, and suddenly he put his own hand over hers, taking it off of his face and opening her palm to reveal a small, swirling tornado. He made it go up into the air, twirling above their heads and up into the sky. "Holy shit!" She cursed, successfully grabbing everyone's attention.

It was then that she realized who the mysterious red-eyed stranger was. The moment he looked at her, she knew. She could recognize him anywhere, and she could recognize that look in his eyes anywhere.

He was in front of her in a split second, staring at her, making her step back in surprise. He didn't seem put off, though. He was still grinning. "It's you." He said. "After that day, I kept searching for you, but I could never find you. And now you're here."

Paul was in front of her in an instant, pushing her behind him and glaring at Benjamin. "Lay off of her, you dirty _leech_."

Benjamin glared at Paul. "She'd my blood singer, you mangy _wolf_. I have every right to see her as you do any woman you imprint on."

"I don't give a _shit _about what little _leech crush _you think you have on her." Paul spat, shaking with anger that begged to be released. "Calypso is _nothing _of yours, nor will she ever be, so don't fucking talk about her like she is." He didn't pause. "And don't even compare your little blood singer shit to our imprinting, because you wanting to drink her until she's dry is nothing compared to finding your soul mate."

"As if she's anything of _yours_?" Benjamin demanded.

Paul growled. "She's my best friend, and I've known her for _years_. That's a _hell _of a lot longer than you, _buddy_." He spat.

Benjamin glared at him with red eyes, challenging him. "She's still nothing of yours, _dog_. She's my blood singer, and I can get through you quicker than you can blink."

"Paul-" Calypso was cut off when Paul phased in front of her, growling at Benjamin threateningly. He jumped to attack, but another wolf came and tackled him before he could do so. The two of them rolled, the russett wolf that Calypso recognized as Jacob on top, growling down at Paul. Paul managed to get Jacob off of him, sending him across the clearing from him. He went to swipe at Jacob and missed, successfully getting Calypso right in her right arm. She screamed in pain, clutching her arm. There were two deep marks there, oozing blood that steadily leaked out onto the ground.

"Get her out of here!" Edward shouted, pushing back Senna and Zafrina, though he himself was having a card time keeping control around human blood. It was harder for Senna and Zafrina, as well as the other vampires around who usually feasted on human blood. They were currently being held back by Emmett and Bella. "Carlisle!" He called desperately, knowing that he couldn't keep them back for very long before someone would get Calypso and kill her.

Benjamin was the one who came to her side, scooping her up, trying his hardest not to bite her. It took every single solitary piece of him not to bite her. "You're going to be okay." He promised her in a soft, soothing tone, taking her into the house where Carlisle was waiting with medical tools strewn out around him, the kitchen table cleared off, ready for her. "Everything is going to be alright." He soothed her over and over, smoothing her blonde hair back as Carlisle told him to lay her out on the table. The sad part was that his voice made her feel calmer, made her believe that everything was actually going to be okay, although she knew that she had just almost died, and that her best friend had just cut her enough that she'd almost died, willingly or not. She almost got angry, but then she realized that she'd been the one who begged him to take her, and he'd been the one who kept refusing, saying that it would be too dangerous to take her into a house of vampires that fed on human blood. She hadn't believed him, but it appeared that, yet again, Paul had been right about what he said.

Sometimes she hated when he was right. No, scratch that. She _always _hated when he was right.

"I'm going to need to inject you with something to numb the pain. You need stitches." Carlisle explained to her. "It'll pinch a little bit, but after that, you won't feel a thing, I promise."

Calypso nodded, her eyes brimming with tears as she waited for the pain that was sure to come. She'd always despised needles. Maybe it was the fact that a foreign object was going into her body, or maybe it was just the fact that someone was stabbing her with some sharp tool. The point was that she hated it, and currently, she was being subjected to it. She peeked and saw the needle, feeling dread fill her at the mere sight of it. She gasped, grabbing Benjamin's hand with the hand connected to her good arm, seeing as it was the first thing she saw beside the needle going into her wound. He looked surprised that she was grabbing his hand at first, but soon he settled down, allowing her to grip his hand for as long as she needed to. She had a surprisingly strong grip for a human, he realized. But then again, he got the sense that she was as surprising a person as she had been showing him since she'd arrived.

Later he'd realize that he really wasn't far off when he made that assumption about her.

"There." Carlisle said after a few minutes of silence. "The worst part is over. Now we just need to clean it up and stitch it up. I can't guarantee that there won't be some faint scarring, but that's to be expected with a wound this deep."

"Alright." Calypso replied, not knowing what else to say. She felt absolutely drained, and it wasn't just because she'd lost a fair amount of blood. It was because she'd experienced all of this in a day; finding out that the Brady Bunch living just a town over were vampires, finding out she was this guy's 'blood singer' (whatever the hell that was), and then watching her best friend go all wolf on her and fight with her other friend.

Benjamin was still holding her hand, and she made no move to take it out. His hand felt soothing to her, almost like more than a sedative than the needle that Carlisle had stuck into her.

"Cal!" Paul shouted as he ran into the room, cargo pants on. Benjamin growled involuntarily at the sight of the man who'd harmed his blood singer. He glared at Benjamin for a moment before looking at his best friend, shocked. He saw her arm and his eyes widened. "I did that...?" He questioned in disbelief, concern clear in his dark eyes. Paul paused, running a hand through his hair. "Cal, God, I-I'm so sorry, I..."

"Wait." Carlisle paused, stopping before he started stitching Calypso up. "Paul, come and look at this." Paul came over at once, watching Calypso's wound carefully, where Carlisle's eyes were currently rested. He was concerned has he made his way over; was there a complication? Did he rip open her muscles? His stomach churned, but when he got over and saw it, his eyes widened at the sight.

Her wound was closing up right before his eyes.


	6. Chapter 6

_**Revelation** - noun - The making known of a secret or the unknown._

* * *

"What is it?" Calypso questioned them desperately, looking over at her arm to try and see what was going on. Her own eyes widened when she realized that the wound was no longer there. There wasn't even a scar on her arm to show that she'd once been cut there. She looked up at Carlisle, Benjamin, and Paul, who all bore similar expressions to the one she had at the moment; complete and utter confusion. "What... What does this mean?" She questioned, her voice a mere whisper, sounding especially quiet as it was being drowned out by the rapid beating of her heart.

Carlisle was silent for a few moments, his eyes calculating and careful as he looked at her arm. "Calypso... Do you want me to be completely honest with you, even though what I say may not make sense and may even scare you?" When she slowly nodded, he spoke again. "Based on what I've seen here, Calypso, you're not human."

"That's bullshit!" Paul roared at once, defensive over her. "Are you trying to say that she's a leech like you? Because, if you haven't noticed, her heart is still beating and she doesn't have those damn red or yellow eyes."

"No, I'm not saying that she's a vampire." Carlisle articulated his sentences carefully, slowly. "Not all the way, anyway. I'm saying that Calypso may in fact be a hybrid, just like Renesmee. The flush of color in her cheeks, her heartbeat, her eye color, and her lack of need to feast upon human blood indicats that she isn't a vampire, however, her fast healing rate indicates that she isn't human. The only reasonable explanation is that she's a hybrid." Carlisle paused. "I've also noticed that her heartbeat is similar to Renesmee's."

"So one of her parents is a vampire then." Paul confirmed. "But it couldn't be. I'd recognize a leech anywhere."

"That's not the case. We'd know if there was another vampire in the vicinity." Carlisle explained. "She may have been adopted. Your parents, they travel a lot, don't they?"

"Yeah, they do." Calypso confirmed this with a nod of her head. "We've been traveling since the day I was born. I mean, we only finally settled down when I was eight."

"Do you have any memories of your childhood, Calypso?" Carlisle questioned her.

Calypso shook her head. "No, not really. I only remember coming to La Push, that's all. I kinda chalked it up to how you don't remember things from your childhood, though."

"But that's just it." Carlisle stepped away from the table, allowing Calypso to sit up and slide off of it. "You've got to be a hybrid, just like Rensmee is." He paused, coming to her side. "Calypso, I need to ask something of you. Something very important."

Paul was by her side in an instant, snarling at Carlisle. "Hell no. I'm not subjecting her to that. She was already hurt today."

"She can't go on the battlefield, Carlisle." This time, Benjamin was agreeing with Paul. Although Paul didn't want to admit it, he was grateful for the back up. "Although we might not be fighting, there's a chance that Aro may want her."

"But she doesn't have a gift." Edward walked into the house with Jacob. He'd left Bella outside with Renesmee, who was talking to Senna and Zafrina about her gift. "Why would Aro want her?"

"We need all the help we can get, Paul." Jacob added hastily. If Calypso being there was going to save Renesmee, he'd make damn well sure that she was there. "Calypso has been living for longer than Renesmee. She's a good example, and she can count as a witness."

"You can stand with her." Carlisle added on. "And if it does come to a battle, you can take her with you and leave. I won't subject her to any violence." He looked at Calypso while he said the next part. "I only ask for you to witness. I want you to see what Renesmee has gone through."

"She can show you." Edward added. He stepped back, allowing Renesmee and Bella to walk in. "But only if you let her."

Calypso watched as the angelically beautiful child walked over to her, a small smile on her face. Calypso knelt down, allowing Renesmee to put a hand on her cheek. She watched in awe as she saw Bella carry Renesmee, she saw Renesmee being born, saw her growing each and every day.

And then she saw something else. She saw memories flash before her eyes, memories of herself. A woman giving birth to her, then dying of blood loss. A man taking her, cleaning her up and holding her. A man almost losing control and biting her, but leaving at the last second, leaving her crying and alone on the ground. By her surroundings, she figured that it was in Scotland.

She saw a man and a woman walk up to her, looking curious. Her parents. Her mother picked her up, looked at her father, and spoke a few words.

Suddenly, she was brought back to the present. Renesmee smiled softly, looking up at Edward. "She can do the same thing I can do."

"But how is that possible?" Edward questioned. "I've never heard of two vampires having the same gift."

"Maybe she doesn't have the same gift as Renesmee." Bella spoke up, looking over at Edward. She turned around, looking at a blonde girl who'd just entered the room. "Kate, come here."

Kate looked confused but obliged, walking to Bella's side. Calypso stood, confused. "Kate, touch her."

"Alright." Kate shrugged. "With voltage?"

Bella nodded her head in affirmation. "With voltage. I'll use my shield to make sure that she isn't hurt."

"Bella, are you insane!?" Paul snarled, currently being held back by Carlisle and Jacob. "You're going to hurt her!"

"No, I'm not." Bella snapped at him. "I know what I'm doing. Kate, touch her."

"Alright." Kate shrugged her shoulders carelessly. Electricity charged at her fingers, she touched Calypso's outstretched hand.

At first, the pain nearly brought her to her knees, but then it was a faint buzz. Then, moments later, Kate shouted out in pain, dropping to her knees as voltage surged through her body. Bella lowered her shield and Calypso brought her hand to her side, her eyes wide.

"She's a mimic." Carlisle stared in awe at the blonde before him.

"A mimic?" Eleazar repeated. "But we thought that those weren't possible..."

"They are, apparently." Kate grumbled, getting to her feet. "I've never had my own power returned to me before. She's a mimic, alright."

"What the hell is a mimic?" Paul demanded after Jacob finally allowed him to stand by himself.

"A mimic is exactly what it sounds like." Edward replied. "Calypso is gifted, just like I can read minds, Bella can shield, and Benjamin can manipulate the elements. Her gift allows her to copy someone's power once she's been touched."

"She'd be a valuable assett to have on the battle field." Garrett observed.

"More like a sitting duck, sitting there, ripe for the picking." Alistair spoke as he leaned against the door frame of the room's entrance, seeing as almost everyone had filtered in by now. He figured that he might as well see what was going on. "Do you really think that Aro would let her leave once he's seen what she can do? The Volturi would stop at nothing to have her. She could copy everyone's power, and be the only person they needed. With her, the Volturi would be unstoppable."

"So the same applies to us then." Jacob snapped. "With her, we're unstoppable. She could copy all of their powers in an instant."

"You say that as if she has time to go up to them and greet them with a handshake." Paul growled. "She's not going anywhere near them, and she's not fighting."

"Like I said before, Paul, it's most likely not going to come to a fight." Carlisle responded.

"Yeah, we'll see about that one." Alistair rolled his eyes and exited the room.


	7. Chapter 7

A few days later, the Cullens and their witnesses were gathered together in their home, along with Jacob, Paul, and Calypso. The Cullens stood at the front of the room, the Denali coven sitting on the plush chairs across from then, the Amazon coven as well as the Romanians beside those two women, the Nomads standing to their left. Across the room sat the Irish coven, with Bella and Jacob seated beside them. Calypso stood next to where Jacob was sitting, Paul standing on her other side, putting distance between her and the Egyptian coven. A growl rumbled from his throat when Benjamin tried to move near Calypso, which earned him a glare from the blonde.

Eleazar was the one who spoke up first. "When Aro wants someone from a coven, it's never long before evidence turns up proving that coven committed some crime."

"So he's done this before?" Bella piped up a question, her dark brows creasing in confusion.

"It happens so rarely, I never realized it was a pattern." Eleazar replied.

"Apparently he always pardons one person whose thoughts he claims are repenting." Carlisle spoke up, stepping near his friend, who was the only one of the Denali coven currently standing with the Cullens.

"This person always has an ability," Eleazar added. "And always given a place with the guard."

Edward's eyes widened. "This is all about Alice. He has no one like her."

"Which is why she left!" Bella realized.

Emmett furrowed his brow, crossing his burly arms over his chest. "But why does he need witnesses?"

"To spread the word that justice has been served..." Alistair replied, stepping forward. "After he slaughters an entire coven."

Amun visibly tensed, looking towards his family. "Benjamin, Tia, we're leaving."

"And where will you go? What makes you think they'll be satisfied with Alice? What's to stop them from going after Benjamin next? Or Calypso, Zafrina, or Kate, or anyone else with a gift, anyone they want." Amun looked towards Benjamin, who looked over at Calypso. Paul growled, baring his teeth. Calypso frowned and set a hand on his arm, trying to calm him, but he shrugged it off. "They're goal isn't punishment, it's about power, it's acquisition. Carlisle might not ask you to fight, but I will. For the sake of my family, but also for yours, and for the way you wanna live."

No one spoke for a moment, each vampire, wolf, and hybrid looking around the room at each other, waiting for someone to speak.

Jacob was the first to stand and step forward. "The packs will fight." He said, watching as Paul stepped forward to stand beside him, standing in front of Calypso. "We've never been afraid of vampires." He added, looking at Edward, who looked at him with a look of respect.

The Denali coven stood next, Tanya at the front. "We will fight." The blonde said.

Garrett stepped up next. "This won't be the first time I've fought a king's rule."

Benjamin stepped up as well, a smile on his face. "We will join you."

Amun looked appalled. "No!"

"I will do the right thing, Amun." Benjamin replied, turning to look at his creator, who looked surprised to see Benjamin doing this. "You may do as you please."

Senna spoke up next. "We will stand with you."

"So will we." Siobhan added, standing with Liam and Maggie.

Calypso was the last to step up, stepping around Paul, who attempted to keep her back, but to no avail. "I'll fight."

"Cal..." Paul growled threateningly.

"Paul, you're not my father, nor are you my imprintee." Calypso replied, throwing him a look. "You can't control what I do, and if you're fighting, I am, too."

The rest of the vampires took a step forward, the Nomads giving Edward a nod in comfirmation that they would fight.

"That didn't take much." Vladimir commented. Senna threw him a look.

"Let's hope it doesn't come to that." Edward spoke up.

"We'll see." Alistair replied, giving Carlisle a look before he left the room.

* * *

_"Everyone showed courage, though we knew that Aro's army was moving against us. Soon we would face the dark gifts of Jane, and worse the paralyzing vapor of her brother Alec, who could rob of you sight, sound and touch."_

* * *

Toshiro ran down the streets of London at a rapid pace, his eyes wide, fear clear in his dark eyes. He gets cornered in an alley by Demetri and Felix, who then proceed to take him down and shove him up against a wall.

Alec and Jane appeared, Jane standing by her brother as he released his vapor, allowing the dark mist to take away Toshiro's senses as he walked closer to him.

"Alec." Aro said warningly as he stepped closer. Alec paused before he retracted his gift, allowing Aro to walk closer to Toshiro.

"I will never go against you." Toshiro said shakily. It was obvious that he was lying, and it was made even more obvious by look in his eyes and the tone in his voice.

"Of _course _not." Aro replied, smiling in a sickly sweet way. "My dear... _Toshiro_." He held out his hand expectantly, indicating for Toshiro to give him his hand. Toshiro obliged, though he gulped, obviously scared for his life.

"It seems that Carlisle is still expecting you." Aro revealed after a moment of silence, dropping Toshiro's hand. He turned, motioning for his guard to kill Toshiro before he walked off with Caius and Marcus.

"Carlisle is all but ensuring his own destruction." Caius said.

Aro nodded his head, musing, "Sad, isn't it?"

* * *

"Aro will want us incapacitated before he attacks." Edward spoke. "Jane and Alec will try and take me out first, because I can anticipate their moves."

"Too bad we don't all have your shield." Garrett replied from across the counter.

"Doesn't help me fight though." Bella replied, casting her brown eyes onto the counter.

"No, but it could help the rest of us if you could project it." Tanya replied.

Bella furrowed her brow in confusion. "What do you mean?"

"I mean shield someone other than yourself." The blonde answered.

Bella blinked, looking around at the vampires that surrounded her. " Is that possible?" She questioned.

"Gifts can be developed, over time." Carlisle answered her.

"At first mine was just in my palms," Kate responded, holding out her palms for emphasis. "Now I can radiate it all over my body."

"How do you do it?" Bella asked, a grin on her face. She grabbed Kate's hand, very clearly gripping it too hard. "Tell me." She urged.

Kate looked from her hand to Bella. "_Ow_."

As she, Emmett, Garrett, Edward, and Kate went outside, Calypso sat inside. She usually wanted to be over there, and the only time she wasn't with Paul was when he absolutely had to leave. Whenever he did, though, he made Jacob promise to watch her like a hawk. He promised, but he never actually did it.

"You should start practicing with your gift as well, Calypso." Carlisle said to the blonde.

"What do you mean?" Calypso questioned.

"Gain some of the gifts from the vampires around the house." Jacob replied, walking into the room while chewing on a sandwich. "You've already got Kate's, so get the rest of them. You'll need it."

"Well, like who?" Calypso questioned, hopping off of the stool that she'd been seated on.

"I'd like to try it out." Calypso looked up, only to see Benjamin walking into the room with a smile on his face. He held out his hand. "If that's alright with you." He added.

Calypso slowly nodded, looking down at his hand before looking back at him. "Alright." She reached out, slowly putting her hand in his. Her fingertips were first, resting ever so lightly on the palm of his hand. His hand was cold, she realized, but it was a comforting kind of cold. She put her hand in his, closing her eyes. Her gift didn't require her to close her eyes, but she really couldn't deal with the heated look that Benjamin was giving her.

She felt something else within her; some fire, which was an indication that she'd copied his power. She felt something similar when she copied Renesmee's and Kate's powers. She released his hand, opening her eyes and stepping back. "I think I have it." She replied. She concentrated, thinking of Benjamin's power, before a flame sparked on the tip of her finger. It died out instantly, making her frown.

"Keep trying." Benjamin urged her. "You'll get it."

Calypso nodded, turning back to her hand. Suddenly, the fire came back, but this time it stayed there. Calypso grinned, staring at her finger in fascination. "Wow." She breathed, grinning at Benjamin. "You one seriously a kick ass gift." She said, making him laugh.


	8. Chapter 8

Peering into the living room, Calypso looked at her parents, watching them as they watched an old movie in black and white. Her mother laughed along with the laughter on the screen while her father watched her fondly, putting a few pieces of popcorn into his mouth. He turned back to the screen, laughing along with her this time.

Calypso frowned. She couldn't say goodbye to them. As selfish as it sounded, she just couldn't. She could die, but it wasn't like the chances were real of her dying. Carlisle said she could come back... Right?

Turning, Calypso left her house before her parents could even see that she was missing. It was better this way. It was better for them.

She'd be back. She had to.

* * *

Calypso sat beside Paul, relishing in the fact that he was so warm in this mountain setting. She sat close to him, shivering despite the fact that he was incredibly warm. She was the only one who was cold; no, scratch that. Renesmee had to be freezing as well. The rest of them were doing just fine.

Jacob came back with some wood to start a fire, dropping it onto the pile before the group. Benjamin stepped up, walking in from behind Calypso and Paul. He smirked, fire lighting on only one of his fingers. Calypso turned along with Paul, watching as the fire turned from one of his fingers to four of them before he tossed the fire to the wood, starting off the bonfire. He sat down beside Calypso, Jacob coming to sit at his other side.

"That's what I'm talking about." Jacob said, grinning despite the circumstance that they were in. "A little pre-battle bonfire, telling war stories."

He paused, looking over at Senna and Zafrina. "...Or just standing there like a freaking statue." He muttered, making Benjamin, Calypso, and Paul laugh.

"Name any American battle." Garrett said, suddenly appearing on the log diagonal to Jacob, Calypso, and Paul, warming his hands by the fire. "I was there."

"Little Big Horn." Jacob spoke up.

"I came _this_," He held his fingers apart to show how close it was, "Close to biting Custer, but the Indians caught him first."

Kate came in next, taking a seat on Garrett's lap. "Try Oleg's assault on Constantinople." She said, smirking at him. "He didn't win that one on his own."

"If you're talking battles, you're talking the Eleven Years War." Said Liam, his accent thick. "No one does rebellion like the Irish."

"You lost the Eleven Years War." Garrett pointed out.

"Aye," Liam agreed. "But it was one hell of a rebellion."

A few minutes passed, war stories being shared among the people surrounding the fire. Calypso piped in, telling what she knew about each battle, which was actually quite a lot considering who her parents were. It was then that Vladimir and Stefan spoke up.

"When we ruled everything came to us. Prey, diplomats, favor seekers. Such was our power, but we never put on white hats and called ourselves saints." He said, looking around at the other vampires.

Stefan nodded in confirmation. "We were honest about what we were."

"We sat still for a very long time, we didn't notice we were beginning to petrify." Vladimir added.

"Perhaps the Volturi did us a favor when they burned our castles." Stefan spat, his voice venomous. The rest of those around the fire grew serious at their tale.

"We've been waiting fifteen hundred years to return that favor." Vladimir concluded with a nod.

Everyone returned to useless chatter after that, trying to lift the mood that had been cast on them. Paul turned to Calypso, taking the opportunity to talk to her. "Cal, I want you to promise me something."

Calypso frowned, looking at him inquisitively. "What?"

"I want you to promise me that you'll do everything in your damn power to stay alive." Paul replied, looking at her seriously. "I want you to know that you're like the little sister that I never had, Cal. You're my family, and you're my only family. If you died tomorrow... I really don't know how I'd live with myself."

"Paul-"

"That's why I want you to promise me that you won't do anything reckless." He continued, stopping her from interrupting him. "You need to focus on protecting yourself, you understand me? And if I die-"

"Paul! Stop-"

"Calypso, look at me." He demanded. The blonde looked at him, her eyes wet with tears. He inhaled shakily. "And if I die, I want you to stay near Benjamin. Do you understand me?"

She nodded numbly. He attempted to hug her but she stood up, walking out of the group and into the woods.

Paul got up to follow her, but Jacob pulled him back down, shaking his head. "What?" Paul demanded, shrugging Jacob's hand off of him immediately. He needed to go get his best friend and find out if she was okay. Jacob silently motioned to Benjamin, who was getting up and walking after Calypso, ready to comfort her. Paul was silent after that, listening to everyone else talk, though his arms were crossed, a telltale sign that he wasn't happy.

* * *

"You're crying."

Calypso whirled around to face Benjamin, her blonde hair flying out behind her as she did. She blinked, looking down as she felt another tear roll down her cheek. She tried to stay strong, although she felt completely and utterly broken and torn. "Yeah." She replied, nodding her head as she wiped her tears away. "I am."

Benjamin didn't reply to that. He pulled her into his arms, wrapping his arms around her in an embrace. Calypso didn't hug him back at first. She stayed there, shocked that he was hugging her, wanting to push him away. But part of it felt so right to be there in his arms. She felt protected, safe, and most of all, she felt loved. She wound her arms around him, closing her eyes and breathing in his scent as she buried her head into his chest, finding solace in just being around him.

"I won't let anything happen to you." Benjamin promised her after a moment of silence as he smoothed back her hair, pressing a kiss to the top of her head. "I'll keep Paul safe, too. I promise." And that was true. He was complete and irrevocably in love with her, and there was no turning back from there. He couldn't let her get hurt during the battle, if there was actually going to be one. Since Paul was someone who was so close to her, he couldn't allow Paul to get hurt either. It would completely tear her apart, which would then in turn tear him apart to see her that way.

Benjamin would die before he allowed that to happen.

"You need to stay safe, too." She whispered, sounding so broken that Benjamin pulled her closer, wanting to just take away all of the bad things in the world so that she'd never feel any pain, although he knew that it wasn't possible for that to happen. "Please." She added, sounding so desperate that he tilted her head up gently, making her look at him.

He pressed his lips to hers, capturing her petal pink lips in a sweet kiss, one that was short but spoke leaps and bounds to Calypso. Once he pulled away, he rested his forehead against hers for a moment, keeping his eyes closed before he opened them and pulled back a bit once more. "I promise I'll stay safe." Benjamin said, keeping a tight hold on the blonde. "We'll be alright, Cal. I promise."

And although she knew that there was no way for him to know that they would be fine, she allowed herself to believe in that fairytale for just a little while. It was the only way to keep herself sane.


	9. Chapter 9

_**Fear** - noun - An unpleasant emotion caused by the belief that someone or something is dangerous, likely to cause pain, or a threat._

* * *

The snow crunched under my feet as I walked, my boots making imprints on the ground behind me. I didn't have the security of Paul at my side, making sure that I was safe and kept out of harm's way. The wolf pack had to wait for a few minutes behind the trees, staying there until Jacob commanded them to move. Benjamin was trusted with my safety, albeit reluctantly, but Paul still trusted him to keep me out of harm's way.

I tucked a free piece of my blonde hair behind my ear. It was in a French braid that Kate had down, putting it carefully down my back to a bit above my waist. I was adorned in a sleeveless green vest over a long sleeved white shirt to keep me warm, fur lining the hood that wasn't currently over my head. I wore a pair of tight black jeans with that, along with my matching black boots that went to about halfway on my calves. I fingered the wolf necklaces that hung from my neck; Paul had made it for me a few years back. He carved it out of wood himself, and I made a point of wearing it whenever I was nervous. ( cgi/set?id=84491165)

I looked over to my left; Benjamin was walking beside me, looking straight ahead, keeping a calm face, although I knew that he was only doing it for my sake and not for his. He wanted to make sure that I wasn't nervous and that I wasn't afraid I was going to die, but I knew better. I knew that he was just trying to be strong for me.

I reached over and grabbed his hand gently, making Benjamin look over at me, surprised. I sent him a small, shy smile before I looked ahead once more, just as everyone else was doing. I didn't see his face, but I felt him further intertwine our fingers, and I knew that was a good sign.

We stopped suddenly. Bella and Edward took a protective stance in front of Renesmee, ready to attack if they needed to. Everyone else stood with their covens, except for Benjamin and I, who stood near the front, away from Amun and Kebi. I didn't question Benjamin's motives. I knew better than that.

Suddenly, Renesmee turned and looked carefully at me with dark, calculating eyes. I sent her a small smile, hoping to reassure her. She sent me one back and then turned to face the woods just as I did.

"The red coats are coming, the red coats are coming…" Garret chanted as he bounced on the heels of his feet.

Just then, a huge group of vampires emerged from the trees, each sporting a matching black cloak that reminded me of a marching band's uniform. They walked slowly and confidentially, as if we were absolutely no threat to them, as if we stood absolutely no chance against the powers of the Volturi.

I watched as they all stopped in unison, two people stopping in front of three men that looked as if they were the leaders. Suddenly, each vampire grabbed the cloaks and carelessly took them off of their heads, staring at us with calculating eyes. I watched as the black haired one with milky red eyes looked carefully at Renesmee, before he paused, looking over at me with his lips slightly parted. He looked me over, his eyes widening slightly. Benjamin stepped protectively up, shielding me a bit from the man. The man smirked, turning back to watch Edward.

Suddenly, I heard the trees rustling in back of us. I knew exactly who it was; the pack. A smile formed on my lips as the boys and Leah entered the clearing in their wolf forms, each of them taking protective stances around us. Jacob stood with Renesmee while Paul came over to me, standing on my other side. I looked down at him as he looked up at me. I smiled at him, patting his head with my free hand before we both looked at the Volturi, waiting for one of them to move.

Carlisle and the man opposite stepped forward at the same time, each of them stopping only a bit before their armies. I looked over the rest of their armies, flinching when I saw a little blonde girl watching me quizzically. I looked away from her, choosing to watch Carlisle and the creepy man talk instead.

"Aro, let us discuss things as we used to, in a civilized manner." Carlisle said, talking as if he were right in front of Aro instead of across a snow covered clearing from him.

"Fair words, Carlisle." Aro responded. His voice wasn't as enchanting to me as the rest of the Cullens or Benjamin's were to me. His was cold and calculating. "But a little out of place given the battalion you've assembled against us."

Carlisle visibly frowned at Aro's response. "I can promise you, that was never my intent. No laws have been broken."

A blonde man from beside Aro spoke up, his voice just as cold and calculating as Aro's, but it had an edge of rudeness to it that told me that he was the quick tempered one. "We see the child, do not treat us as fools."

"She is not an immortal!" Carlisle shouted to the clearing, his voice echoing throughout the entire place. He turned slightly, motioning to all of us. "These witnesses can attest to that. You can look. See the flush of human blood in her cheeks."

"Artifice!" The blonde cried out again.

Aro held a hand up to silence the blonde standing beside him. "I will collect every facet of the truth, but from someone more central to the story." He smiled creepily, holding his hand out. "Edward, as the child clings to your newborn mate, I assume you are involved."

Edward sent Bella a pained look, showing that he really didn't want to go over to Aro. He then looked at Renesmee before he made his way over to Aro, taking his time. No one went with him. Maybe they thought he didn't need any help, but maybe no one even dared to go near the Volturi unless they were summoned to do so.

Aro took Edward's hand in his own, covering it with his other hand as his milky red eyes closed. He inhaled, staying silent for a few moments. No one moved. No one dared to even make a sound. Aro finally opened his eyes, looking excited as Edward took his hand back. "I'd like to meet her." He said.

Edward threw Bella another pained look. Bella got the message, taking Renemsee's hand and walking with her. Jacob followed after, and when they were about half way there, Bella turned around, as did Renesmee and Jacob. Emmett stepped away from Rosalie and followed them over to Aro.

"Ah, young _Bel-la_." Aro breathed, looking Bella over in a way that made me feel sick, and his eyes weren't even on me. "Immortality becomes you." He smiled in a way that maybe he had meant to be pleasant, but I found it completely and utterly revolting. He suddenly shrieked and laughed, pointing at Renesmee. "I hear her strange heart."

Aro held his hand out patiently, waiting for Renesmee to put her hand in his. Renesmee ignored his outstretched hand as if it wasn't even there and stepped forward. "Hello, Aro." She greeted in her soft, melodic sounding voice, placing her hand on his cheek. His eyes widened as he looked at her, looking far off. After a few moments, Renesmee retracted her hand.

"Magnifico." Aro breathed, turning away from Renesmee to look at his army. "Half mortal, half immortal. Conceived and carried by this newborn," He turned and motioned to Bella, who grabbed Renesmee back, before he looked back at his army. "…while she was still human."

Aro turned to look at Bella once more before the blonde cried out, "Impossible!"

Aro turned to the blonde sharply. "Do you think they have fooled me, brother?" He hissed as Bella, Renesmee, Emmett and Edward began walking back to us. Jacob growled at Aro and barked, making Aro turn slowly to face him, before he growled once more and walked back to Renesmee.

Aro paused, grinning at his eyes landed on me. I froze, feeling uncomfortable when his gaze was on me. "And the Cullens have another hybrid with them. Calypso, isn't it?" I nodded numbly, still gripping Benjamin's hand in my own. Aro held his hand out expectantly, grinning at me. "Come here, dear. I'd like to read your thoughts. I'm sure that they would be interesting."

I looked over at Benjamin, who was already looking down at me. Benjamin nodded once, looking back at Aro. I looked down at Paul who was growling, baring his teeth threateningly at the Volturi. I looked back at Aro, who still held his hand out, grinning at me. "Come."

Taking a deep breath, I walked forward confidently, Benjamin at my side. Paul followed as well, keeping himself close to me, watching each of the Volturi carefully, ready to attack if they tried anything.

I neared Aro far too quickly for my liking. He smiled at me, taking my hand and closing his eyes, inhaling deeply just as he did with Edward. Aro suddenly gasped, grinning in delight before he dropped my hand. "A fully grown hybrid! And one with the gift of mimicry."

"Mimicry?" The blonde repeated. "Surely there must be a mistake, brother."

"No, there's no mistake here." Aro replied, turning and grinning at me. "You would be a fine addition to my guard, my dear. We'd just adore having you there, you know."

Paul growled, releasing a bark before Aro could continue. Benjamin pulled me back from Aro, shaking his head. "She's my mate, and I wouldn't like having her so far away from home, Aro. It's nothing personal." Though his words seemed kind, his tone was anything but that, and his face was contorted in a way that I knew was completely territorial and hostile.

"Yes, of course, young Benjamin." Aro replied, waving his hand dismissively, though his eyes told me that he wasn't going to let this go. As I followed Benjamin back to where we were standing before, Paul following us obediently, I brushed past Jane and her brother as we walked. They kept their distance, but my hand brushed their gold bodies. It was enough for me. I returned to following Benjamin and Paul, acting as if nothing had happened

Once we were standing where we originally were, Caius turned and looked at the rest of the guard. "Bring the informer forward."

To men brought a blonde girl over, who looked extremely guilty. Caius barked at her, "Is that the child you saw?"

"I-I don't know." She replied hesitantly, obviously scared out of her mind.

"Jane." Caius said, making the young blonde girl I'd seen earlier smirk.

"She's changed!" The blonde, Irina, was quick to correct her mistake. Apparently Jane had some sort of power that was terrifying. I looked at her, knowing that I was going to copy that power if it came to a fight. "This child is bigger."

"Then your allegations were false." Caius concluded.

"The Cullens are innocent." Irina said, looking at Aro and Caius. "I take full responsibility for my mistake." She paused, looking over at her family. "I'm sorry." She breathed.

Suddenly, a fire was lit. Two men came to either side of Irina. "Caius, no!" Edward cried out. It was too late. They ripped Irina's arms and head off, throwing her body into the fire. I heard Kate and Tanya scream, before all hell broke loose.


	10. Chapter 10

The sound of snarls, growls, and screams echoed throughout the clearing as Kate and Tanya tried to run to their sister, although she was far gone by now and couldn't be saved. Benjamin wrapped his arms around me, pulling me into him, trying to keep me safe. I exhaled a breath that I didn't know that I had been holding, looking up at him for a moment before turning to look at Zafrina, who had taken away Kate and Tanya's sight while they were being held back.

"Give me my sight back!" Tanya demanded to Edward, looking around wildly, still shaking with anger over what had happened to her sister.

"Tanya, this is what they want." Edward whispered to her, except his voice held an air of authority and urgentness in it that made her stop. "If you attack now, then we'll all die."

Tanya finally relaxed, as did Kate, who had surely heard what Edward had said to her sister. Zafrina finally gave them back their sight and the two were allowed to move, though Garrett kept his arms around Kate loosely, not restraining her, but keeping her safe just as Benjamin was currently doing to me.

I watched as the blonde girl, Jane, looked over at Edward with her bright red eyes. "Pain."

In seconds, Edward was on his knees, kneeling on the white blanket of snow that had covered the ground, obviously in a lot of pain. It was then that Bella released her sheild, keeping all of us safe. Edward slowly stood, going to Bella's side. "It's working." He whispered.

Jane looked wildly at all of us, trying to inflict pain on anyone, but none of her attempts worked. Frustrated and angry, she moved to come towards us, but her brother's hand on her shoulder made her stop in her tracks and retreat back to her position.

Alec then attempted to use his vapor but Aro held up a hand, signalling for Alec to stop. Alec looked annoyed but made his power retreat back into his hands.

"Aro, you see there's no law broken here." Carlisle spoke up, trying to diffuse the situation.

"Agreed." Aro said, though his voice was shaking. Suddenly, his voice was stronger. "But does it then follow that there is no danger?" He turned to face his army. "For the first time in our history, humans pose a threat to our kind. Their modern technology has given birth to weapons that could destroy us. Maintaining our secret has never been more imperative. In such perilous times, only the known is safe. Only the known is tolerable, and we know nothing of what this child will become. Can we live with such uncertainty? Spare ourselves a fight today, only to die tomorrow."

Just then, two figures emerged from the woods, walking towards us at a slow yet determined pace. Aro gasped, turning around to face the figures.

"Alice." Edward mumbled, looking down at the ground.

"Alice!" Aro gasped, bringing his hands together in delight. As the two vampires neared us, one of them being Alice, guards stopped them from going any further to Aro. " My dear, dear Alice, we're so glad to see you here after all."

Alice ignored his greeting, getting straight down to business. " I have evidence the child won't be a risk to our kind."

Aro looked suspicious, so after a pause, she held her hand out over the guards' shoulders. "Let me show you."

Aro took her hand instantly, closing his eyes.


	11. Chapter 11

Alice suddenly took her hand back, glaring at Aro with undisguised hatred and disgust in her eyes. "It doesn't matter what I show you." She snapped. "Even when you see, you still won't change your decision."

The small girl turned her head, looking over at Bella. "Now." She mouthed slowly.

Bella looked over at Renesmee and Jacob. "Take care of my daughter." She whispered to Jacob, who instantly turned and began running.

"Get them!" Caius commanded. A member of the guard ran off in pursuit of Renesmee and Jacob.

Calypso wasted no time. She turned to Benjamin. "I'll be right back." She whispered. When he looked uncertain, she pressed a quick kiss to his lips before running over to Paul. "Let's go, Paul! They need our help."

Paul nodded, obviously seeing where she was going with this. Calypso jumped onto his back and he began running. The blonde threw a look behind her back, seeing Benjamin watching her retreating form. She watched until she could no longer see him because of the trees blocking her vision. At that point, she looked ahead, gripping Paul's fur tightly.

"We have to catch up to them." Calypso explained to Paul. "If we don't, that vampire will kill Renesmee."

Paul seemed to understand, picking up his pace and running faster. She saw Jacob ahead, along with the vampire who was jumping in the trees, attemping to attack Renesmee and Jacob from above them.

Suddenly, Paul seemed to slow down a bit, his eyes widening and his body tensing. He suddenly let out a howl, followed by Jacob's howl. Calypso knew what that meant, but she knew that she had to focus. She looked at the vampire ahead. "Pain." She muttered. The vampire tensed, pain coursing through his body. He screamed, and Jacob took this opportunity to flip and tear the vampires head off, throwing it behind him before he continued running. Paul slid to a stop, looking at the vampire's head that was before them.

"Let's get back, Paul." Calypso said, and Paul didn't need to be told twice. He turned and ran back to the battle.

* * *

Benjamin looked around wildly, seeing all of his friends being taken down. He watched as the wolves were killed, the Volturi killed, and the witnesses killed. He looked over at the woods, not seeing Calypso or Paul. He shook his head, raising his fist and slamming it into the ground, creating a giant crack in the Earth.

He turned, releasing his pent up rage on the Volturi. He assisted the wolves in killing at least a dozen of their members, killing them quickly. How dare they come and harm his friends, his family, and possibly his mate. How dare they even think about it...

"Ben!"

He turned, only to see Calypso running towards him. She wrapped her arms around his middle, burying her face in his chest. He felt himself calming down and wrapped his arms around her in return, breathing in her intoxicating scent. "I thought I'd lost you." He whispered to her.

She shook her head, looking up at him. "You can't get rid of me that easily." She replied, smiling slightly, making him smile in return. They seperated, knowing that a battle scene really wasn't a place for a heartfelt reunion.

Benjamin was buised with a group of vampires so Calypso turned, knowing that she had to do something.

She saw Jane smirking and attacking one of the wolves with her power. Calypso felt a growl leave her throat before she knew what was happening. "You little shithead." She snapped, making Jane look at her. "Pain." She muttered, watching as Jane fell to her knees, a scream leaving her lips.

Calypso neared her painfully slowly, standing in front of her and glaring down at her. "How do you like it, huh?" She snapped, grabbing her by her neck and throwing her to Alice. Alice then threw her to Sam, who tore her to shreds.

* * *

"Now you know." Alice snapped, tearing her hand out of Aro's grip. "That's your future, unless you decide on _another _course."

I looked over at Edward, who had no doubt seen Alice's vision as well through his mind reading. I chalked up the fact that I had seen it to the fact that maybe I'd copied Edward's gift.

"You saw it too?" Benjamin whispered. I looked up at him, confused as to why he'd seen it, before I realized something.

"I must have copied Aro's gift." I muttered. Benjamin nodded, wrapping an arm around me and pressing a kiss to my head.

"We cannot alter our course, the child as well as the girl still pose a grave threat." Caius said quickly and in a matter of fact tone.

"But if you were sure that they both could remain concealed from the human world?" Edward questioned. "Could we leave in peace?"

"Of course, but that cannot be known." Caius snapped.

"Actually, it can." Edward replied.

Suddenly, two figures emerged from the clearing, each decked out in old clothing that looked to be Brazilian to me.

"I've been searching for witnesses of my own, among the Tekona tribes of Brazil." Alice stated proudly, a smile on her face.

"We have enough witnesses-"

Aro held up a hand to silence the blonde. "Let him speak, brother."

The man was the next to speak. "I am half human, half vampire, like the girl and the child. A vampire seduced my mother, who died giving birth to me. My aunt Huilen raised me as her own. I made her immortal."

"How old are you?" Bella questioned, making him turn to face her and give her a small smile.

"A hundred and fifty years." He replied.

"At what age did you reach maturity?" Aro questioned him.

"I became full grown seven years after my birth." He replied. "I've not changed since then."

"And your diet?" Aro questioned.

"Blood, human food." He gave Aro a small shrug. "I can survive on either."

"These children are much like us." Marcus said, his eyes wide as he looked at the stranger, Renesmee, and I before looking back at Aro.

"Regardless," Caius replied, "the Cullens have been consorting with werewolves, our natural enemies."

"Dear ones, there is no danger here." Aro said, turning to look at his army, as well as Caius and Marcus. "We will not fight today."

Looking disappointed, Caius and Jane took their leave along with the rest of the Volturi. Aro paused, looking back at Bella, Alice, and I. "Such a prize." He muttered to himself, before he too left.

"We have them on the run!" Shouted Vladimir. "Now is the time to attack."

"Not today." Carlisle looked away from his wife and children to address Vladimir, who looked severely disappointed and angry.

"You're all fools!" Shouted an angered Stefan. "The Volturi might be gone, but they will never forgive what happened here."

I ignored the two vampires, turning to Paul and sinking to my knees, hugging him around his fluffy neck. "We did it, Paul!" I cried out, laughing. He grinned at me, a sparkle in his eyes that showed me that he was happy about our victory, too. I stood up and Paul walked ahead, knowing that I wanted to talk to Benjamin.

Without a word, Benjamin cupped my face in his hands, pressing his lips to mine. He pulled away after a moment, opening his mouth to speak, but I kissed him again, wrapping my arms around his neck. He was surprised but he complied, wrapping his arms around my waist to bring me closer to him.

"I'm so glad." I whispered, grinning up at him. Benjamin smiled down at me and nodded, wrapping an arm around me and walking back to the Cullen's house by my side, Paul joining back up with us and walking by my other side.


End file.
